The present disclosure relates to a sample liquid supply device, a sample liquid supply device set, and a microchip set. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a sample liquid supply device that simply injects liquid into a hollow portion formed in a microchip.
In recent years, microchips with wells or flow paths formed on a silicon or a glass substrate have been developed by micro fabrication techniques, which are widely used in the semiconductor industry, to chemically or biologically analyze a sample liquid (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-219199). These microchips have begun to be applied to electrochemical detectors in liquid chromatography, small electrochemical sensors in a medical setting, and the like.
The analysis system that employs such a microchip is called micro-total analysis system (μ-TAS), lab-on-a-chip, biochip, or the like, and has been attracting attention as a technique enabling increase in speed, efficiency, and integration in the chemical analysis and the bioanalysis, or downsizing of analyzing devices.
In the μ-TAS, only a small amount of sample is used for the analysis, and the microchip is designed for disposable use. For these reasons, the μ-TAS is expected to be suitably used for the bioanalysis that analyzes a small amount of precious sample or a large number of samples.
Examples of the μ-TAS include an optical detection device that introduces a sample in a plurality of regions provided on a microchip, and then optically inspects the sample. Such an optical detection device may include; an electrophoresis device that separates a plurality of substances contained in a solution in a flow path on a microchip by electrophoresis, and optically examines the separated substances individually; a reaction device (for example, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device) that facilitates reactions among a plurality of substances in wells on a microchip, and optically analyzes the resulting substances, and the like.
In the μ-TAS, since a very small amount of sample is used, the introduction of the sample liquid into the wells or flow paths is difficult. Sometimes, the sample liquid is prevented from entering the well or the like due to air remaining in the well or the like, and it takes a long time to be fully introduced into the wells or the like even if the sample can enter the wells or the like. In another case, bubbles may be generated in the wells or the like during the introduction of the sample liquid. As a result, the amount of the sample liquid introduced in each well or the like may vary and the variation in sample amount may lower the accuracy or efficiency of the analysis. Further, when the sample is heated in the PCR, bubbles remaining in the wells or the like may expand, and the expansion may inhibit the reaction or lower the accuracy of the analysis.
In order to facilitate the introduction of the sample liquid in the μ-TAS, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-284769 discloses a substrate that “is equipped with at least a sample-introducing part for introducing the samples, a plurality of storing parts for storing the samples, and a plurality of air-discharging parts connected to the storing parts. Two or more of the air-discharging parts are communicated with one open channel having one opened terminal.” Since the substrate described above has air-discharging parts communicating to the individual containers (storing parts), the air in the container is discharged from the air-discharging parts when the sample liquid is introduced from the sample-introducing part to the containers. As a result, the containers can be easily filled with the sample liquid.